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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23580886">Honey, You're Like My Mirror</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitchaotic/pseuds/bitchaotic'>bitchaotic</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Emotions, F/M, Happy Ending, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Veela Draco Malfoy, Yule Ball (Harry Potter)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 22:13:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,720</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23580886</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitchaotic/pseuds/bitchaotic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Draco Malfoy, son of a Veela, finds that he has similar abilities as his mother. Harry Potter is greatly affected by these abilities, but struggles to find someone who seems to be affected in the same way.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Seamus Finnigan/Dean Thomas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>155</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Honey, You're Like My Mirror</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Since the first time Harry laid eyes on Draco in the robe shop, he hadn’t been able to shake the feeling of immediate affection. Even when they’d actually been introduced and their attitudes towards each other became unpleasant, to say the least, Harry still felt enchanted. It wasn’t until his fourth year, at the Quidditch World Cup, that he understood. The pale hair, the sharp but elegant facial features, and the look some of the boys got when he passed led Harry to believe that Draco was part Veela. As with Fleur, boys and girls stared and wanted to do Draco’s bidding. Only certain boys were attracted, Harry noticed. Some, like Ron, were utterly disgusted when in the presence of the Malfoy boy. It was no wonder the hall was filled with the glowing ‘Potter Stinks’ badges, as Draco had convinced those under his will to wear them. Every time Harry got near the part-Veela, he had to fight the urge to become submissive to Draco. It was like the unforgivable curse that forced the person to do as their controller wished. He was washed with warmth, as though he was bathing in the sun, whenever Draco got too near. In the warm haze, he felt compelled to kiss Draco as he stood too near.</p><p>As he stood much too close, Draco's sneer turned into a smirk, as though he could tell what Harry was thinking. He probably caught the quick glance Harry cast towards his lips. He was able to push away the thought, not knowing if it was his own conscious thought or Draco's will. He had maybe considered what it would be like kissing the blond before, but never while under his charm, though he would deny any allegations. He couldn't tell if the look on Draco's face was shock from him being able to resist or just his normal irritating look of pride, like he was too good for Harry to even be in his presence. Hermione grabbed his sleeve and dragged him away. "What was that about?" She asked. Of course, she wouldn't know about Draco, she couldn't feel his powers radiate through her when they were close. She probably didn't even notice the dreamy gazes others gave him. <br/>	"He was being a git," Harry muttered, hoping she was only talking about angry looks the two had shared before she was dragging him away.<br/>	"There wasn't a single person there who would say that -- encounter was out of anger. " Damn.<br/>	"It was nothing, Hermione. Just forget it."</p><p>Hermione wasn't the only one who couldn't forget about their face-to-face. Whispers went through the hall about the way Harry Potter was looking at Draco Malfoy, not with contempt but something that could be seen as positive-- admiration, maybe. Draco enjoyed the teasing Harry got, feeling better about the rejection. </p><p>It occurred again, after the first of the Triwizard Tournament task. Draco baited Harry once more after he passed the first task, pushing him hard as he tried to leave the forest. They were in each other's faces, throwing insults as usual, when Harry got that urge to kiss his opponent. For a second, Draco thought it was going to happen. Harry pushed him back against a tree, something between hatred and lust seemed to hang between them. Harry's face was inches from the Slytherin's, but instead of kissing him, he just rolled his eyes and turned away from the blond. Harry swore he heard a whisper saying, "What a tease." </p><p>The Gryffindor common room exploded in cheers when Harry walked through the portrait hole, and the party didn't die down until nearly one in the morning. A few remained spread out on the couches and chairs, not ready to sleep yet. Harry and Dean Thomas were among the who had yet to retire. <br/>	"Can I talk to you?" Dean asked, leaning over the back of the couch to look at Harry.<br/>	"Uh, yeah, sure. What is it?" He made room for Dean to sit with him. <br/>	"I'm sure you've heard the whispers about you with Draco, right?" <br/>	"Yeah, I've heard. That's what this is about? I'm not in love with Malfoy like everyone seems to think."<br/>	"I know."<br/>	"You... do?"<br/>	"Some of us have noticed... urges, as well. Things we wouldn't normally do, but we want to when Draco's around." Dean looked nervous at admitting it.<br/>	"It's because he's part Veela, it's got to be."<br/>	"Yeah, but only certain people are influenced." At this, Harry's full attention went to Dean, wanting-- no, needing-- to know what he meant.<br/>	"Harry, the only people who are pulled towards Draco are the ones who aren't, I mean... We're all, uh... into guys..."</p><p>Harry had a lot to think about while lying in his bed. He tried to think about every person he'd ever had a crush on. He really liked Cho, but why? She made him feel good about himself, sure. So, were the feelings actually romantic or just because of her kindness? It was the same with Ginny, too. Was he only into girls who fueled his ego? </p><p>The next morning, Harry was exhausted as his friends were getting ready for breakfast. He pushed his glasses onto his face and took a deep breath before getting out of bed. Ron, who was already dressed, sat on the edge of his bed to put on his shoes. <br/>"Hermione's probably waiting to walk with us," he said as Harry worked on getting dressed. He didn't reply as he buttoned his shirt, pushing his shoes on at the same time. Ron looked uncomfortable, to say the least. Once Harry was ready, the two of them walked down the staircase. Hermione jumped from where she'd been sitting, smiling wider than necessary. "Morning, boys!"</p><p>At breakfast, he noticed glances. No one could know about what Dean had told him unless they, too, felt that way, right? Part of him was panicking as he sat in between Ginny and Hermione. <br/>"You could have told me, you know... I would- I would have gotten over it," Ginny mumbled, her eyes and nose red like she'd been crying.<br/>	"What are you talking about, Gin? What's wrong?" She got up from the table, tearing up at the questions. <br/>	"I suspected it, you know. Then you acted like we had something, so I thought- well, hoped- that I was wrong. " It was completely silent at the Gryffindor table as Ginny stomped away. <br/>	"What was that about?" Harry was shocked and confused. Never once did he 'act like they had something.' Sure, he'd liked her, but she was his best friend's sister. He shook the thoughts from his head and looked to his friends for help. <br/>	"It's Rita Skeeter--her latest article, Harry; It's about you. " Neville handed him the Daily Prophet, trembling slightly. Harry snatched the paper, needing to know what was going on. Right on the first page, Rita's article glared at him. Famous Harry Potter is Taken with a New Student at Hogwarts.</p><p>	“The Boy Who Lived has turned into quite a womanizer! Hogwarts students <br/>	have given me the official scoop on Harry Potter's love life. Pansy <br/>	Parkinson, from Slytherin house, had this to say, "It's really awful the way<br/>	he leads on [Hermione] Granger. Even when she's at his side, he's looking at <br/>	other student—other boys. He'd been eyeing that Weasley girl all<br/>	year. Now he's trying to steal my boyfriend! Draco Malfoy has been <br/>	Potter's new conquest. I know Draco loves me and I have nothing to worry<br/>	about, but I don't like that Potter thinks he can have whoever he wants<br/>	without consequence."</p><p>Harry stood up quickly, clenching the paper in his fists. Hermione grabbed his arm in an attempt to stop him from whatever he was planning, but he pulled away and made his way to the Slytherin table. This time, the entire Great Hall was silent as Harry approached Draco's usual group. Pansy stood up, hands on her hips. "You can't have him!" The table erupted with laughter and jeers towards Harry.<br/>He narrowed his eyes at her, leaning closer and talking in something just above a growl, "I highly doubt he's yours anyways. If the stick up his ass is any indication, he has high standards. Standards that you could never meet."<br/>Harry's attention went to Draco as Pansy crossed her arms and sat back down with a huff. He pushed the Prophet in Draco's face. "Why don't you tell everyone what you are? I do not like you. I have never felt anything but hatred towards you." Draco smirked and was about to speak when Harry stopped him. "Have fun with your 'girlfriend,'" he muttered, rolling his eyes. He spun on his heels and left the Hall, hating the explosion of chatter that followed his exit. For a school of magic, with real problems like the inevitable return of Voldemort, Hogwarts was no different than the primary school he had gone to. Everyone acted like children when the hot new gossip came out.</p><p>Harry spent a good half hour wandering the more abandoned parts of the castle before he finally came face to face with the Fat Lady, muttering whatever nonsense password had replaced the last. When she swung open, he immediately returned to his dormitory, not wanting anything to deal with anyone. But, of course, someone had to already be in the dorm. He sat down, silent, and dug out a book about Quidditch, in hopes that his dorm mate would remain silent if he started to read. He got less than a page in before he was interrupted. "Everyone knows Rita's a liar. The Slytherins aren't even having fun with it anymore." Dean kicked off his shoes and sat on his own bed, trying to reassure him by saying, "By tomorrow, everyone will have forgotten."<br/>	"I doubt that," Harry mumbled, closing the book he was trying to read. Even Quidditch couldn't take his mind off the situation. He knew that Ron hated that Rita insisted Harry and Hermione were a couple. Ron would never admit it, but it was obvious he had feelings for her. He was jealous of the attention the 'relationship' got; it was putting a serious strain on their friendship, but there wasn't much Harry could do about it. Whenever Harry and Hermione were together, Ron was usually there. If there was a relationship between them, Ron would know. It wasn't enough to console him, though. <br/>	"Try to keep your distance for a while--from Malfoy, I mean-- if he can't get close to you, he can't do whatever it is he does. If you can't get away for whatever reason, focus on something else. I, uh... I focus on Seamus. It helps me remember who I actually like," Dean grins sheepishly. "Don't tell anyone yet. He's not ready for it to be a public thing. Especially not after today." The article made him worry about what kind of attention their relationship would get, but Dean didn't mention that. </p><p>The next Potions class proved it difficult to keep away from Malfoy. Professor Snape assigned them to work on their anti-poison potion together. Hermione gave him a sympathetic look as she moved tables to work with Dante, a less out-spoken Slytherin. Draco took her place after getting their supplies for them. Not out of kindness, but because he was certain Harry wouldn't get the best pick of the ingredients. It was a lot harder than Dean made it out to be to focus on other things, not when he could feel Malfoy so close to him. Snapping fingers in front of his face made him return to reality. "Are you going to cut them, or do I need to do everything?" Draco asked, looking both annoyed and pleased. His partner watched him until he was satisfied with his cutting. While Draco cleaned up the scraps of their ingredients, Harry was put to stir the potion counterclockwise, the last step. His heart nearly leaped out of his chest when Draco grabbed his wrist.<br/>	"Ten rotations, Potter. Trying to ruin our potion or are you just daft?" Malfoy sneered, taking the spoon from Harry. Where the thin fingers had been seemed to burn. He rubbed at the spot, a frown on his face. <br/>	"Mr. Malfoy! Perfect job," Snape praised, before looking at Harry. "Can't say the same for you, though, Mr. Potter. Work more diligently next time." <br/>As though they didn't have the same cauldron... To make things even better, the professor asked him to stay behind to clean up a bad spill that was burning on the floor. The person responsible didn't have to do it because she was a Slytherin and all Slytherins are exempt from duties they'd otherwise have. He had to do it because his work was "distracted and irresponsibly done." He told his friends that he'd catch up with them at the Great Hall. By the time his Professor was happy with his cleaning, dinner was already started. Snape was working on grading the last of their assignments on Wolfsbane, so he stayed at his desk when Harry was finally allowed to leave. While pushing his potions book into his bag, not really paying attention to where he was walking, he was pulled into a dark closet he had never known was there before. His eyes were wide with panic, but before he could shout or curse his assailant, a warm hand was pressed over his mouth. </p><p>His eyes adjusted to the dark quickly and he wasn't sure whether to calm down or panic more when he recognized the dark face in front of him. Draco radiated calmness, though, allowing Harry to relax. When the Slytherin was certain Harry wouldn't yell out, he removed his hand. "What the hell?" Harry hissed, keeping quiet in case Snape were to walk by and hear him. He'd be the one to get in trouble. <br/>	"I had to get you alone without your faithful companions ruining everything." Draco wiped his hand on his robe, keeping up the appearance of being disgusted by Harry. He used, what Harry called, his charm on the angry Gryffindor. He glared at Draco, shaking his head as though to clear the thoughts. <br/>	"For how often you do that to me, one would think that you are the one pining for me rather than it being the other way around. What do you want from me, huh? Want me to give in so you can tell Rita how Harry Potter kissed you? How disgusted you were that you pushed him away and ran to tell everyone how terrible he is?" Harry rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not that easy to manipulate." Before Draco had the chance to say anything, Harry was out of the room. </p><p>	"Snape sat down a couple minutes ago. Where were you?" Ron asked, taking a bite from his dessert, as Harry had been forced to arrive so late. Hurrying so that he'd be able to eat, Harry piled food onto his plate and started shoveling food into his mouth. He waved off the question, hungrier than he'd been since he came to Hogwarts, leaving behind the abusive Dursleys. Before, he was used to only eating enough to survive. With daily feasts, he was never truly hungry anymore. His friends sent him food via owl during the summers now, too, so he was hardly hungry at, what he was forced to call, home. It was a better life, after knowing Hogwarts. Everything was better, really. Nightmares of the closet under the stairs still haunted him, but he was no longer forced under there. What if he hadn't been accepted to Hogwarts? Where would he be now? Harry forced himself to focus on the conversations around him instead of thinking about the Dursley's and the hell they put him through. <br/>	"Wonder what Malfoy was up to," Neville whispered, nodding towards the blond who was only now sitting down. "Nothing good, I bet." Harry kept his mouth shut, for the time being, not wanting anyone other than his closest friends to know what Malfoy was really doing. He was glad he got out of that room before anything really happened. He didn't know Malfoy's true intentions, but he didn't figure he wanted to find out.</p><p>Hermione had to go to the library; Harry followed along, as Ron was forced to go with George and Fred to sneak into the kitchens. If he hadn't been dragged away, he would have definitely joined them to make sure that Harry wasn't trying to get with Hermione. He struggled with the number of books in his arms as he helped carry half of them, following behind Hermione to check them out. Once they were seated in the very back of the library, Harry opened up to Hermione. "That day when Malfoy was getting in my face, do you remember that? You pulled me away from him." When Hermione nodded, he continued, "Well, I'm convinced he's part Veela."<br/>	"Harry, there haven't been any confirmed male Veelas."<br/>	"Haven't you noticed the way that everyone looks at him? Girls and boys are drooling over him, Hermione. Don't tell me you haven't noticed..."<br/>	"That doesn't mean he's a Veela! I mean, you must admit, he isn't unattractive, Harry. It's natural for girls, and some guys, to be interested in him. "<br/>Harry frowned, seeing how serious she was. "You're right, I guess..." She wasn't right, but he didn't want to argue or admit something he wasn't sure of yet. The books were pushed away into Hermione's bag and the two walked back to the Gryffindor common rooms, meeting Ron along the way. You could tell just by looking at him that he was jealous, but neither Hermione nor Harry said anything to reassure him. They'd tried too many times; it would only fall on deaf ears. The three of them entered the portrait together. </p><p>	"Harry, Hedwig was looking for you. I promised her I'd give it to you. I didn't want it to fall into the wrong hands," Dean slipped a folded piece of parchment into Harry's hand as he passed by. Harry nodded in thanks, tucking it into his trouser pocket. Dean was a good friend, there was no denying that. The two had gotten closer since they became aware of the whole Malfoy ordeal. Dean was the only one who believed him and felt the same way. <br/>	"What did Dean give you?" Ron asked, searching through his bag for his Divination homework. <br/>	"I asked him if he could write down something from a book for me," Harry lied. He didn't really know what it was, but based on the interaction, he guessed that it was from Draco. Maybe after he read it, he would share. He tried to ignore the note, tried to focus on work, but couldn't. He excused himself to go to the bathroom, needing to know what it said to be able to do his work. </p><p>The note simply read, "Those were not my intentions, but do expect it to get harder to resist. " Harry didn't quite understand, but he knew that he just broke a dam and would soon be flooded with problems. He flushed the note and left the bathroom to return to his friends. He sat down and opened his book back up. It was harder to work after reading the note than it was before. Malfoy wouldn't attempt to make him do something in class, would he? He was already dreading the next Potions class. <br/>	"You all right, mate?" Ron asked as he scribbled down some more nonsense for Divination. Hermione flashed him a quick look of pity, thinking that he was still stuck on the Veela thing. Harry nodded, but then decided to tell them the truth. He leaned forward to avoid any curious ears.<br/>	"Draco Malfoy is a Veela. I know it doesn't make sense to you, Hermione, but he is. He even hints at it. I think I screwed up, though. He cornered me earlier, after Potions, tried to get me to make a move. The thing Dean gave me was a note from Malfoy. He said he's going to make it harder for me to ignore."<br/>	"It?" Ron asked.<br/>	"Whatever it is he does. When Fleur gets close, you get this feeling, right? She makes you want her. Malfoy does the same thing, guys." How much was Harry going to explain?<br/>	"Then why doesn't it bother us?" Ron didn't think it made sense. That was okay. Hermione, on the other hand, looked at Harry like she finally understood. They weren't attracted to him, therefore he didn't bother them. The look of pity returned.<br/>	"Maybe we just don't get close enough to him, Ron... Harry is constantly paired up with Malfoy," Hermione covered for him. Ron accepted the answer and went back to work. He didn't need Ron to truly understand yet. He would likely become disgusted if he understood. He hated Malfoy more than anyone, which was understandable with all the backhanded comments he threw at Ron and his family. He'd think Harry was insane. Maybe he'd at least get over the idea of Harry and Hermione being a couple. Hermione reassuringly smiled at Harry before returning to her reading, and he was grateful that she was so understanding. That was the end of the conversation and Harry was completely okay with it. They worked in mostly silence, only talking when something irritated him or Ron. </p><p>The next day, on their way to Charms class, the trio passed Malfoy and his gang. Besides an angry glare and a quick thought to get on his knees and beg Draco for forgiveness, the effects of his passing were minor. Pansy, who was carrying Draco's things, stuck out a tongue at them before grinning and getting closer to her 'boyfriend.' In Charms, as Flitwick watched them do their summoning charms, Harry and Hermione chatted. "So... Malfoy? You're into," she leaned closer and whispered, "guys?" Harry just shrugged. He still wasn't completely sure. He was into a guy, but also multiple girls had caught his eye. He brought the quill across the room to him, getting words of approval from the Professor. <br/>	"I don't know, Hermione. I mean, I've been thinking about a date to the Yule Ball, and they've all been girls. I've noticed guys, too, but..."<br/>	"But?" <br/>	"But I've never really thought about it. I've always pushed those thoughts aside." When Dudley was younger, Aunt Petunia would call her son a lady's man. While being quite untrue because there was no way Dudley had ever dated anyone (or would ever land a decent woman), it imprinted on him that boys being with girls was the only option. Whenever the television talked about being gay, Uncle Vernon would call it a disease. He'd say they needed to be put down because they were sick. Him being with a man hadn't really seemed like an option. <br/>	"Try to focus on what you feel towards everyone you see. Don't push it down anymore," Hermione replied just before they were dismissed. The three of them left together, and Harry did as Hermione suggested. As they walked, he paid special attention to anyone who caught his eye. Luna, with her bright pink headband with some sort of creature on top, was just too difficult not to notice. Then his eyes found Ernie Macmillan. He wasn't unattractive, they were sort of friends. Ernie smiled at him before ducking into his next class. Did he feel any way towards Ernie besides friendly? Harry didn't think so, but then it seemed quite hard not to think of all the nice things about his friend that he might be attracted towards. He had soft-looking hair, a sweet smile, kind eyes. Then he saw Cho and, as usual, he's heart sped up. She waved at him as they passed, and he tried to figure out why she made him feel the way he did. She was pretty, no doubt about that. She made him feel appreciated. She was graceful in the way she waved her wand, and the way she carried herself. But was there more than that? He didn't know much about her, on a personal level. They hadn't had many conversations; he didn't even know if she had siblings. Maybe it was that she was obviously into him as well? The idea of it being possible for them to end up together was what made him so nervous. With other crushes, it was always one sided. Sure, Ginny was majorly in love with him, and maybe he liked her a bit as well, but the idea of them together was laughable. The Weasleys were his family, Ron was his best friend. There was no way the two could ever date. </p><p>When Harry laid down that night, nothing seemed to be fixed. In fact, his head felt like an unsolvable puzzle. The more he thought, the more scrambled things became. The only thing he was sure of was that completely straight people didn't have to reassure themselves that they were straight. He wished this was like another class, with information he could get from a book. There were no books to tell him how to feel or what to do. He'd experiment, but he just wasn't that type of person. He didn't want to risk more rumors or the possibility of hurting someone who actually liked him. </p><p>It wasn't for another week and a half that he had an encounter with a certain blond git. It was just a simple shoulder bump in the halls in between classes. He wouldn't think twice about it if it wasn't for the overwhelming ache that seemed to be in his heart. He had to lean against the wall for a minute just to catch his breath, it felt like he'd been punched in the chest. The only thought he could come up with was how he needed Draco more than air. When Ron grabbed his arm, asking what was wrong, he couldn't even form words. It wasn't until they were in their seats in Divination that he was able to tell Ron that he had just gotten a little dizzy because he hadn't had time to eat lunch. It was a poor excuse, but it was enough to stop the questions. He hardly was able to pay attention to class, but that was nothing out of the ordinary, he never paid attention to that class. It wasn't long before Trelawney predicted that something bad was going to happen to him, and he couldn't help but think that she was right.</p><p>Harry took to the library as the common room was too busy to focus and he didn’t want to be secluded in his room. He had only just opened his Potions book when a shadow moved over him. He didn't have to look up to know who it was, the aggravation was coming off of him in waves; Harry could feel himself becoming angry. Lucky for him, Pansy chose that moment to loudly whisper at Draco to come see what she had found. She wouldn’t admit it, but she was overwhelmingly jealous of Harry. His own emotion suddenly turned from anger, to annoyance, then to grief. As Draco walked away, Harry suddenly understood that the things he felt whenever Draco was near was a reflection of his own feelings. Before, all of the things he felt were directly connected to the Veela; he believed those thoughts were forced upon him. Now, though, he felt emotions. They had never been a part of Draco’s inflicted charm. The ache in his chest as they had passed days prior was not an attempt to hurt Harry, it was just the opposite. It was Draco’s own pain that bounced onto Harry as though he was a mirror. </p><p>Once the library’s lights started to bother his eyes, Harry finished his studying outside of the doors to the Great Hall as he waited for his friends to go inside to eat. He tried to be in a good mood, but even from across the Hall, tables away, Harry could feel Draco’s every emotion; happiness was never one of them. <br/>Normally, the Golden Trio would’ve left the Hall together and walk back to the Gryffindor common room together, but Ron leaned over to Harry to whisper to him, “I need to talk to Hermione. Alone. Mind hanging back for a bit before coming to the common room?” Harry was offended at the idea of Ron and Hermione sharing secrets, potentially about him, until Ron broke out in a smile. “I’m going to ask her to go to the Yule Ball with me.” He didn’t say it, but Harry could feel that there was more to that sentence; as Ron tensed up after the confession, he could almost hear the implied, “If that’s all right with you.” Harry returned the smile and nodded, giving him an encouragement of, “Good luck!” </p><p>Harry took the time to eat another dinner roll, slowly, pulling it apart with his thin fingers before popping the pieces into his mouth. He could feel a new emotion—awe. Harry’s head turned from listening to Seamus talk about the broom he grew up with to look at Draco, their eyes meeting. The Slytherin didn’t even look away to pretend he wasn’t staring, but he did look surprised that Harry seemed to sense that he had been staring. To Draco’s right, Pansy was fuming over the fact that her “boyfriend” wasn’t paying any attention to her. Her head turned to Harry, too, but she simply stuck up her middle finger before pulling on Draco’s robe sleeve, whispering something in his ear. Once again, the feeling of aggravation was strong, so strong that Harry had to look away. Once the feeling was gone and his gaze returned to Draco, Pansy was storming out the doors. He jumped at the feeling of a hand on his bicep, turning quickly to see who had touched him. <br/>“Resist him, Harry,” Dean encouraged, giving him an easy smile before turning his full attention back to his boyfriend. It wasn’t that easy, though. Feeling what Draco felt made it impossible to resist him. Harry couldn’t stop how completely in tune he seemed to be with the Slytherin.</p><p>Harry left the Hall about ten minutes after Ron and Hermione had, and about 30 seconds after Draco had. Resisting it wasn’t working; he thought maybe talking would help. Draco knew that Harry was right behind him, taking them towards an empty corridor. The blond sat cross-legged on the floor, out of sight of anyone who might be roaming the halls. He watched as Harry sat next to him, copying his posture. Another wave of calm came at him. <br/>	“Why are you making me feel your emotions?” Harry asked, getting straight to the point. When he didn’t get a response, his gaze moved from the floor to Draco’s face, which was etched with confusion.<br/>	“You… what?” He couldn’t even get out a proper sentence. He could feel the uncertainty as Draco covered his face with his hand, intent on remembering everything that his mother had told him about Veelas. Everything that he could remember was about Veelas having control over what they give off. But, then, couldn’t he remember how his father’s emotions always deeply reflected his mother’s? It was only his father, too. His mother was constantly around people, they were an active family, but even when she was outrageously pissed, no one around her was affected in the way Lucius was. The thought didn’t bring any assurance. <br/>	“I have no control of it. I’d make it stop if I could,” Draco said honestly, minutes after the original question was posed.<br/>In an attempt at humor, Harry offered another question, “If you hate Pansy so much, why do you keep her around? Every time you’re with her, all I can feel is your irritation.”<br/>	“I don’t hate her. She’s my best friend, even if it doesn’t seem like it. Whenever you’re around, she paws at me like I’m a toy she refuses to share. I hate that, not her,” he answered, and they sink into silence. It would probably feel uncomfortable to Harry, if not for Draco’s relaxation. If someone had told him a month ago that he would be sitting in an abandoned corridor with Draco Malfoy for any reason other than to hex him, he’d laugh and tell them that’s impossible. Then, suddenly, Harry could feel the thought of kissing Malfoy crawl into his mind. When he turned to look at the Slytherin, who was already looking at him, Harry rolled his eyes and couldn’t help but laugh at the hopeful look Draco wears. “You know… Instead of making me want to kiss you, you could just kiss me.” And that’s all it took for Draco to eliminate the space between them, the pale fingers an extreme contrast to the dark jaw that they skimmed as their lips tentatively met. Even as it was Harry’s first kiss, he knew that the way it felt wasn’t normal; that feeling of being washed in warmth had returned, more intense than ever. It took them quite a bit of spending time together before Harry would realize that the warm feeling was Draco’s own happiness. Draco wouldn’t admit it for a long time, but that feeling Harry had, of wanting to kiss him, had nothing to do with his magic. <br/>	“So, what you said in the Great Hall, when the Prophet came out…” Draco started, not sure how he wanted to end the sentence.<br/>	“I don’t hate you. I had a lot of feelings towards you, but hate wasn’t one of them. I do hate your stupid Veela magic, though,” Harry said, after realizing what moment Draco had been referring to. He didn’t realize that he’d come to love that stupid Veela magic, feeling Draco’s emotions course through him and intensifying every interaction between them. The blond just laughed and shrugged, nudging Harry’s shoulder with his own. Harry panicked when he realized that he was supposed to rejoin Ron and Hermione. What if something happened that left them upset, and Harry was here kissing the guy he assumed was his enemy (until now)? Harry touched Draco’s knee, smiling apologetically. “I have to make sure Ron isn’t heartbroken.” Unlike Ron, Hermione was difficult to read. He could never really tell if she held romantic feelings for the ginger. He stood, offering a hand to help Draco up. Once they were both standing, Harry turned to leave, but Draco didn’t let go of his hand. <br/>	“Wait,” he said, pulling Harry in for another quick kiss, hardly anything more than their lips lightly brushing together, but as Harry walked back towards the common room, he couldn’t shake off that warm feeling (not that he wanted to).</p><p>When the portrait swung open, Harry was immediately relieved to see Ron and Hermione sitting together on the couch. Harry sat on the ground in front of the couch, next to Hermione’s legs. Straight ahead of him, Dean sat, studying, with a couple Gryffindors he, himself, had never really spoken to. Dean gave him a worried look, as he had left quite some time after Harry had, yet Harry got to the common room quite some time after Dean had. Harry just smiled and shrugged, and Dean returned to his work. “What happened to you, Harry? I thought you were right behind us,” Hermione asked, nudging him with her knee softly.<br/>	“Sorry, Seamus started talking, and I didn’t want to leave while he was mid-sentence. I guess I sat there longer than I thought.” He looked behind him, at Ron, who grinned widely as Hermione told Harry, “Oh, all right… Well, we had a pleasant walk, anyways. Ronald asked me to the Yule Ball.” <br/>	“That’s great, Hermione! You said ‘yes,’ right?” He teased, nudging her knee back. She nodded enthusiastically and leaned closer to Ron. Harry was glad for his friends, but the thought of Ron and Hermione both having dates for the Yule Ball, while he didn’t, made him panic a bit. The obvious choice was Draco, but he knew that was unimaginable. He wouldn’t even let himself think about dancing with Draco, swaying to the music as they hold each other closer than they’ve ever been.  No one would be accepting of that plan. He was sure Draco would ask Pansy, which meant that Harry absolutely had to find a date. There were girls constantly asking him, only because he was “famous.” Perhaps he’d take one of them, both of them using each other in their own ways. </p><p>Harry went to bed first, telling them that he needed to spend some time thinking about the next task. It was true, he did need to; the only thing he thought about, though, was Draco. He still had on a dorky smile when Dean entered the room, holding hand with Seamus, who dropped his hand as soon as he saw that they weren’t alone. Harry pretended he hadn’t noticed, but felt bad for Dean, having to hide his love. Seamus sat on his own bed, and Harry made a mental note to himself to distract Ron and Neville so that the two could have some privacy for a while. Dean, however, came to Harry’s bed, sitting on the edge. “I left right after you, Harry. You gave in, didn’t you?” He asked, nervous for his friend, not wanting him to get hurt by Slytherin with the worst reputation of anyone currently at Hogwarts. When Harry didn’t respond, Dean just nodded. “I’m not going to say anything, because you look happy, happier than I’ve seen you lately, but be careful. “</p><p>The next day, Hedwig dropped off a small note, while everyone else got yet another Daily Prophet with his face on the front. The source cited for the article was none other than Draco Malfoy.<br/>	“Dear readers, I have the official scoop on Harry Potter’s attempt at getting<br/>	a date to the Yule Ball! Everyone has been curious about who the Boy Who Lived <br/>would be taking to the Ball! Well, folks, here’s an exclusive interview with Draco<br/>Malfoy! “Yeah, Potter asked me. I said no, I’m already going with my girlfriend, <br/>Pansy Parkinson, and even if I wasn’t, I have standards. Standards that he could never<br/>meet. Pathetic, honestly. I hear he can’t even go with that m-------d, Granger,<br/>because she’s already got a date with his best friend.” Of course, we had to censor the <br/>foul language, but I’m sure you can guess what he called that poor muggleborn girl. <br/>Let’s hope he can find a date soon. Can’t have a victor showing up alone, now can we? <br/>You heard it here first, from your favorite reporter, Rita Skeeter!”<br/>Harry could feel pain in his chest, but it wasn’t his own pain. His eyes met Draco’s as he looked up, the blond shaking his head quickly, trying to tell Harry that Draco did not say any of that. But Harry already knew, and he weakly smiled at the worried boy. Ron was seething, pissed off that Malfoy was calling his girlfriend (though it wasn’t official, Ron was waiting until he was allowed to call her that) a mudblood, pissed that that bitch Rita would publish that, even with the poor excuse of censoring. He nearly leapt out of his chair to fight Malfoy when Harry grabbed his arm.<br/>	“It wasn’t him, Ron. Look at what it says. The last time I spoke to Pansy, I told her that I doubted Draco would date her because he had standards that she could never meet. It was Pansy, Ron.” Ron put his hand on Hermione’s, frowning. He wanted to defend her honor, but he wasn’t about to hex a girl, especially not one with so many friends. The last time he tried to hex someone for calling Hermione the M-word, he ended up puking slugs for hours. Hermione smiled at Ron and covered their hands with her other hand, hoping it’d calm him down. She didn’t care what the paper says. She was not ashamed of who she was or who she was going to the Ball with. She would have been worried about Harry, about the blatant lie that Pansy had posted, but he seemed completely unbothered. People were staring at the three of them, and at Draco, but Harry didn’t care. Pansy was being immature, and he wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction. Though, he smirked as he noticed she had tried to hold Draco’s hand, but he pulled away from her and moved down a seat. He did feel bad for Malfoy at the same time, as his best friend was unintentionally hurting him.<br/>Harry remember Hedwig’s note, after the chaos had died down. Ron and Hermione were too focused on each other to notice Harry rip open the envelope. Scrawled on it in neat handwriting are the words, “Sixth floor disused boy’s lavatory, after dinner?” Harry tucked the note in his robe pocket, looking forward to their next meeting. </p><p>Classes were very difficult to pay attention to. People were not-so-secretly laughing at him and his failed attempt to get Draco to go to the Ball with him. They’d believe anything in the Prophet, sadly. The laughter sucked, but nothing bothered him as much as it would’ve if it hadn’t been Pansy making up stories. Ron was still on edge but was no longer ready to throw curses at the next person to piss him off, so that was an improvement. It seemed to take forever, and he noticed more ‘Potter Stinks’ pins than ever, but dinner finally came. For the first time since she had blown up on him, Ginny sat down across from Harry. He said a soft greeting, not wanting to say too much in case she wasn’t over Rita’s article yet. <br/>	“I’m sorry that Draco said no,” she said sadly, like she knew the feeling of rejection all too well. <br/>	“It was fake. Just an attempt to make me look bad. Thank you, though.”<br/>	“Sure,” she sighed, picking around at her food, somehow feeling worse knowing that Harry wasn’t hurting like she was. Sure, that was selfish, but she felt like he had led her on. She wanted him to know that same awful feeling. <br/>Harry knew as soon as Draco walked into the Great Hall, he could feel the anticipation and worry. Worry about whether Harry would want to meet up and if he was upset over the article. The Gryffindor watched him as Draco sat next to Crabbe and some girl neither of them had ever spoken to, going right past Pansy who called out, “Draco, honey, I saved you a seat.” Once seated, he finally looked across the hall at Harry, who gave him an incredibly subtle thumbs up as confirmation to their meeting. So subtle, in fact, that both Ginny and Ron asked him what the hell he was doing.</p><p>Harry made up some bullshit excuse about studying up for the next task, which made Hermione incredibly proud to think that Harry was actually trying to be prepared. When he got to the lavatory, his first thought was a joking ‘how romantic.’ Draco had been sitting against the empty wall, but stood as Harry entered, hesitating before pulling him into a tight hug, mumbling, “I didn’t know she’d do that,” as though it wasn’t apparent by his change in demeanor towards Parkinson. Draco’s feeling of guilt surrounded him, but there was something more there, too. Hope. Harry sat next to the spot Draco had been sitting, which he occupied once again. <br/>“It’s fine. I mean, I hate the jeers and laughter, but I grew up with that, so it doesn’t bother me as much as it should,” he said, in reference to the way that Dudley treated him. <br/>	“How’d you know it was her?”<br/>	“She basically quoted something I’d said to her… “<br/>	“Go to the Yule Ball with me,” Draco said suddenly, looking at Harry’s face for some indication of how the comment made him feel. Harry was completely taken aback. <br/>	“The Yule Ball? You?” The questions made Draco regret opening his mouth, they sounded so disbelieving.<br/>	“Forget I said anything.”<br/>	“No, I’d like that… I just can’t believe you’d be willing to. Especially after you got quoted turning me down.”<br/>	“We’ll prove them wrong. Pans had no right, and I think Rita knew it wasn’t me; she had to have, honestly. This will make them both look like fools.”<br/>	“Is that the only reason you want to go with me?” Harry asked, fidgeting with the note that still remained in his pocket.<br/>	“Obviously. It’s not because I’d like to dance with you or be close to you, and it’s definitely not because the idea of you being with some girl bothers me, especially because you have every right to go with some girl because you don’t owe me anything.” The sarcastic snark made Harry laugh, shifting just enough so that their arms were pressed together. <br/>	“All right, you’ve worn me down. I’ll be your date,” Harry teased.</p><p>Back at the common room, Harry was greeted only by Hermione, who sat by the fire, working on her seventh page of an essay that was only required four pages. “Ron’s been dragged off to test some of Fred and George’s newest creations. And I mean dragged.” Harry could already imagine the torture Ron was enduring at that very moment. “Are you okay, Harry?” She asked, noticing how off his normal attitude seemed off in a way that she couldn’t put words to. <br/>	“Yeah, I’m great,” he paused, Hermione looking at him expectantly, “but I’m also… stuck.” <br/>She stared at him as she waited for him to elaborate. He was thankful that Ron wasn’t around so he could be honest with her; he felt bad that he was excluding Ron, but he had to figure out a way for him to tell his friend.<br/>	“I have a date to the Yule Ball, but I don’t know how to tell Ron… I’m kind of nervous how everyone is going to react, honestly,” Harry confided, sitting down next to her as focus left her assignment.<br/>	“Why would you w—Oh, Harry,” Hermione’s tone went from confused to dejected for Harry.<br/>	“I know you think this is a bad decision, but… I don’t know what happened, Hermione. You’re going to think I’m crazy, but I can feel what he feels. Something… changed. I can’t justify any of his past actions, but honestly, Hermione, I think he’s just been looking for attention that is for him, as a person, instead of from him being part Veela.”<br/>	“What about his threat? About things getting worse?” She asked, needing to know that Harry wasn’t in any sort of danger before she could accept that there was something between the Slytherin an Gryffindor.<br/>	“I asked him about that after he asked me—”<br/>“He asked you?”<br/>	“Don’t act so shocked. As I was saying, I asked him, and he told me that he didn’t have anything planned, he was just hoping that something would happen between us before it became obvious that it was an empty threat.” Hermione accepted the answer but didn’t tell Harry that she would be keeping an eye on Malfoy as long as they were involved until she was certain he did not have any other motives. <br/>	“So now you’re worried that Ron will freak out because he hates the Malfoys more than most,” she said, knowing Ron’s thoughts on Draco and Lucius more than anyone, and he nodded before she continued, “I can’t help you, but you have to tell him before it becomes public. He’ll be hurt if you don’t tell him.”</p><p>Telling Ron was much easier than he’d expected, but his reaction still wasn’t what Harry had hoped for. Disbelief he expected, but it was obvious that Ron genuinely thought that he had gone insane.<br/>	“Are you insane?” Ron asked, confirming Harry’s intuition.<br/>	“I don’t expect you to understand it, Ron, I’m just hoping you’ll deal it.”<br/>	“Are you listening to yourself? Why don’t we see what Hermione thinks?” Ron was under the impression that Hermione would fully agree with him. Harry hesitated before setting him straight.<br/>	“I already told Hermione. She’s on my side, Ron…” <br/>	“Of course, she is! Why wouldn’t she be? Why would she ever agree with the guy she actually agreed to go on a date with?”<br/>	“Maybe because he’s being a git about this whole thing!”<br/>Ron’s eyebrows furrowed in anger, standing suddenly before storming out of the dormitory, leaving just before Dean Thomas entered. <br/>	“He okay?” Dean asked, going to his own bed to sit, toeing off his shoes. <br/>	“He’ll get over it,” Harry said bitterly, shrugging his shoulders.<br/>	“Want to talk about it?” <br/>	“You’ll tell me I’m insane just like he did.” Harry knew Dean wouldn’t understand either. He was fully aware that Draco was part Veela. <br/>	“Let me guess… You and Draco are going to the Yule Ball together?”<br/>	“How’d you—” <br/>	“Ron was muttering to himself as I walked by.” Dean laughed and shrugged, continuing, “I mean, go for it, man. If you think that it’s possible that your feelings aren’t directed related to him being a Veela, I don’t see why it’s a bad idea. I mean, I do, because everyone knows that you two are like rival enemies or something, but if that’s why you want, don’t let anyone stop you.”<br/>It was nice to have Dean on his side, too. It wasn’t him who was insane, it was Ron who was being too judgmental. Of course, he could understand why Ron didn’t like Malfoy. Harry wasn’t asking him to, he was just asking for civility between his date and his best friend. Harry didn’t even care if Ron and Draco refused to talk the entire night; it would be enough for them to just deal with each other. He knew that Draco was more than capable of acting mature, but Ron obviously wasn’t. He also knew that he would be expected to act kindly towards his date’s friends, as well, but he was secretly hoping that Draco and Pansy wouldn’t be reconciled yet. He supposed, in a way, that his Pansy was Ron’s Draco. At least Harry would treat her decently because that was the right thing to do.<br/>	“Thanks, Dean,” Harry hesitated, “I appreciate that.” Dean nodded before doing what he’d come up to the dorms to do. He waved before disappearing out the door, and Harry found himself unable to handle the silence. There were still a couple hours until curfew, so Harry decided to take a walk to cool off, physically and emotionally. </p><p>	Harry pulled his coat tighter against him as he walked against the wind. It was early December, there were only a few weeks until the Yule Ball. He hadn’t even gotten to the lake when he was hit with a jinx, falling back on his ass as he wildly looked for the source, and who should he see but Pansy Parkinson. As he tried to stand, he heard another bang and was pushed back into the snow. She made her way in front of him, hands on her hips, her wand still in her right fist. “I am getting so fucking tired of you, Potter,” She yelled, her voice not nearly as loud in the wind as it was coming out. He went to reach for his own wand, but her foot stomped on it as he went for his pocket. He could kick her, easily, but then he could see the tears leaving streaks along her frozen cheeks. “Why couldn’t you just leave him alone?” <br/>	“He didn’t leave me alone, Pansy…”<br/>She hated the pity that dripped from his words, her wand pointed at his face, a look of pure hatred covered her face. In a flash, Pansy was on the ground and Ron was on top of her. Ron saved him from whatever Pansy had planned for him. It wasn’t long before Professor McGonagall had the two separated, reprimanding them both for their behaviors, but the glint in her eye suggested that she knew that Pansy was the main problem. She sent her to talk to the head of Slytherin, which meant that Snape would probably high five her and tell her she did a great job. She let Ron and Harry go without even dragging them to her office. <br/>	“What was that about?” Ron asked as they walked back into the castle. <br/>	“She’s pissed that Draco isn’t in love with her, and she thinks that’s my fault, I guess.<br/>	“Oh… Well, lucky I had been there before she did something she’d regret.”<br/>	“Ha, yeah, thank you. What were you doing out here, anyways?”<br/>	“I took a walk. Thought it might help me clear my head,” Ron admitted, removing his scarf from his neck now that they were indoors.<br/>	“That’s what I was doing, too. I didn’t realize you’d come out here.”<br/>	“Yeah, I figured I should cool off before I messed up our friendship.”<br/>	“Oh,” was all that Harry could manage. <br/>	“I’m not happy about it, but… Harry, I’m going to be by your side no matter what. Ever since you sat next to me on the train, I’ve known that you were the best friend I was ever going to have.”<br/>They were both smiling, and Harry felt exactly as Ron did. There was no way that their friendship wasn’t written in the stars, or whatever Trelawney would call it. It was no accident that the only empty seat Harry could find was with Ron. “Thanks, Ron.”</p><p>Harry dreaded Potions class. The last four years had been him dreading Potions class. Perhaps if they cycled through Potions professors as they had Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, he would actually have a chance at being good at with potions. Instead, he was stuck with a professor who hated him and his father, and who take every chance he could to make Harry look like a fool. Harry and Draco were partnered up once again, probably because Snape thought that it would ruin Harry’s day. The two got to work, working silently until the room was too loud and confusing with so many discussions that it was safe for them to talk. <br/>	“I heard about what Pansy did. She told me her father taught her an unforgivable curse… and she planned on testing it on you. I’ve tried talking to her, telling her that out friendship has nothing to do with yours and my,” Draco hesitated, trying to find an appropriate word that wouldn’t imply anything Harry might not be ready for, “situation.”<br/>A shiver went through Harry, knowing that he was that close to being seriously injured, or even killed—by a girl his age who was much too obsessed with Draco for her own good. He hoped that she was bluffing.<br/>	“Don’t go out alone. If she gets the chance again, you know she’ll take it,” Draco finished as he added their final ingredients. As he stirred, Harry looked behind him to look at Pansy, who was giving him the most disturbing smirk, as though she was imagining killing him. The programs Dudley watched on the television taught him that girls were uncontrollable when they were upset, but he thought that was an exaggeration because he’d never experienced that fear until his eyes met Pansy’s. <br/>	“Flawless as usual, Mr. Malfoy,” Snape complimented as he peered into their cauldron. His smile turned to a grimace as he faced Harry. “Good job, Mr. Potter.”<br/>As Snape went to the next table, Harry laughed. “Thanks,” he said, using his foot to nudge Draco’s foot.<br/>	“Who said I did anything?” He asked, laughing with Harry, though.<br/>	“You act like that could’ve ever happened without magic.”<br/>The two got a lot of suspicious looks, acting so chummy as though the last partner project hadn’t been full of sarcasm and annoyance. They even left for dinner together, laughing about Merlin knows what. As they entered the Great Hall together, every single eye from the Slytherin and Gryffindor table was on them. They parted to go to their designated table, Harry rejoining Ron and Hermione. Ron looked as though he could be sick, but still faked a smile for Harry’s sake, but Hermione looked genuinely happy for him, less because of Draco and more because of the smile that hadn’t gone away since they’d parted. Yeah, rumors were bound to spread, but neither of them cared. </p><p>The Yule Ball arrived faster than anyone was prepared for. Harry had no idea what to expect, he’d never been to a ball before. On the walk to the Great Hall, he ran into his date. Harry had barely even processed that Draco was there before their mouths were connected, Draco’s hands holding his hip, pulling his close. He wasn’t sure if anyone else had been around and seen, but he couldn’t find it within himself to care. Neither could Draco, although he was the one with powerful, hateful parents, the one who should be worried about them even being seen together. There was no question that Lucius Malfoy loathed him, probably as much as Pansy did, but for very different reason. Harry felt a bit dazed at the sudden, and unexpected, kiss. <br/>“What was that for?” He asked, a dorky smile playing at his lips, looking at the very handsome Slytherin in front of him. <br/>“Couldn’t help myself. You look amazing, Harry. Are you nervous?” Draco gave Harry’s hips a light squeeze, the pressure reassuring. Harry could feel Draco’s own anxiety, but he was doing a good job at hiding it. <br/>“No,” Harry replied in honesty. He was much too excited to dance with his date to care about what anyone thought. Draco let Harry go, taking his hand instead. <br/>“Let’s make it a night to remember, shall we?”<br/>They walked into the Great Hall, hand in hand. For the first time in his life, Harry didn’t care about the staring. He squeezed Draco’s hand, appreciating the warm wave of affection he felt come off of his date.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I started this in 2017... Only recently did I get back to it. When I started this, I thought I was super cool and original to make Draco part Veela, but now that I see there is a tag for that already... oof I acknowledge that seventeen year old me was not as wild and edgy as she thought she was. Title comes from Hozier's song From Eden, as I feel it reflects (HA. GET IT?) the story.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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